It's Sunday morning March 6th, 2011 and it is raining hard! I couldn't believe how much snow has melted overnight and it feels balmy outside. When I did chores this morning, I decided everyone that could, needed to go out and get a sniff of fresh air and get a little rain on them. First my geriatric group went out while I cleaned out water buckets and put out hay and a little grain for the old girls! They came in and out went Thistle the ram and the three pregnant ewes while I cleaned their water bucket and put out a little grain and fresh hay. They came in and my little Ripley clip, clopped out through the barn and went outside. He was very nervous because the wind was really blowing, it was raining and he was alone.....he scooted right back to his stall. Next I thought old Marcus and Blake should go out so I opened Marcus stall first and then Blake. Blake was more than happy to go out. Marcus got right to the door and tried to turn around, I tried to push him out the door but it was like trying to push a polar bear somewhere he had no interest in going. I closed the barn door and Blake roamed around while Marcus followed me around in the barn. I shut Marcus back in his stall and let Blake back into his stall. I opened the back door on the barn and Luther, Spartacus and Stuart were more than ready to go out. This was the first time the back door was open for a week. The snow has settled down so that half of the wire fence is showing and they can't walk on the crust to go visit the girls on the other side of the barn.

Since I last wrote in the blog, Java has had very sore eyes with green goop in them and Matylda as well. They each got another shot of LA 200 and eye ointment in their eyes. Next it showed up in Cocoa, Daisy, Star and Lyra. Todd gave them a shot of LA 200 and ointment in their eyes. It is just on a roll. After you put the ointment in a few times, they really have no interest in being caught and it is like holding onto a greased pig to catch and squirt them. O.K. I'm ready for spring now! I've read a lot on line about pink eye and I think from them being trapped in the barn for such a long time has really caused a lot of my problems. After all these girls having pink eye, I have decided that I need to throw away their mascara. They must have been sharing brushes!!!!

I went to my Non-Profit Management class on Friday and it was the best so far. I'm really learning so much about finance and must say I'm enjoying being a student again. I worked at the Rookery on Wednesday and we have a lot of up-coming events. You will have to go to TashaTudorandfamily and read about all the happenings. The Museum will have an Easter Egg decorating event on Saturday April 16th 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and the classes are limited to 10 people Its $25.00/person and you have to make a reservation.

Darcy is going to help me sort fleeces into what is going to Stone Hedge Fiber Mill to be made into yarn. We also plan to take some more to the Battenkill Fiber Mill to be made into roving. I am going to get all the fleeces out of the barn before we shear in April. I just wrote to Cheryl Flett because she will be sharing a booth at the Vermont Sheep & Wool Festival in October in Tunbridge, VT. This year "Shetland Sheep" are the featured breed and its the 25th year that they were brought into the U.S. through Vermont. I'm sure Linda Doane will be there with a nice exhibit because she is the one that first brought the Shetland sheep from Canada into Vermont. Its very exciting to share a space with Cheryl and be vendors at the Vermont Festival. We also hope to sign up to teach some classes...hopefully!

I also "tore" my guest bedroom apart yesterday and have bags, bags, and more bags of fiber in my living room and dining room. The canopy bed is covered and my little grand daughter went into guest room last night with me. She looked at the bed piled high with stuff and said "Oh my God, YAYA. This is a mess!" She certainly was right and I have to really work today to get it cleaned up. I want to have a little time to go up to the studio because the weather is so mild, the temperature says 47 degrees right now. I could possibly spin for a little while!

Talk to you soon. So-long from Maybelle MaMa. P.S. This is Hannah that was ordered at the last fiber event at the Wardsboro Town Hall. Another Fiber Event will take place Saturday March 26th.